The Legend of Zelda: A Heart of Gold
by salmonbutter
Summary: Seven years after Ganondorf's defeat, Link faces unsettling events when a royal troupe finds a young, unconscious man from Gerudo. Suspicious at best, Link brings him back to Hyrule Castle where the man must prove his innocence over the course of a few years. Unfortunately, they've gotten themselves in a hell of a lot of trouble with the young man's saviours. Link/OC/Ganondorf
1. Chapter One: Thief

A/N: Hello! Just wanted to let all my readers know that I do not own LoZ characters. I only own my OCs and such. I also have to point out that this story is heavily based on the Legend of Zelda: Demon Road fan comic. Please enjoy! :D I'm also sorry for not updating any of my stories. I'm working on it, I promise you!

On a crisp autumn day, Hyrule castle towered over its modestly-sized town. The place bustled with people from all over the land of Hyrule. The market to the south of the town gushed with colour and conversation while the east held a small carnival. Practically all the town's inhabitants were out, relishing what seemed to be the last few days of autumn. Children laughed, mothers gossiped, and market men merrily bellowed in hopes of attracting customers; stray dogs chased stray cats; and friendly soldiers made their rounds of the town. In other words, all was well.

Seven years had passed since Ganondorf's twilight was heroically chased away by princess Zelda and the hero chosen by the gods. Seven years later, our hero lives a peaceful life.

Link walked into the eastern entrance of Castle Town, Epona's reins in his hand as he ambled along the cobblestone beside her. Familiar faces greeted him warmly, and he returned their amiability with an equally as kind greeting. Some eyed him shyly as he made his way down the street, dressed in his casual Ordonian clothes. He wore a grey cotton sweater over his white shirt, his ash brown hair cut at the nape of his neck while his bangs fell just above his striking blue eyes. In seven years, he had made a definite transition from a young 18 year old boy to a fully developed young man. He had grown a few inches, his shoulders had broadened and his jaw had taken a very nicely defined shape. He filled out his clothes flatteringly, and even the hair on his arms had mildly darkened, a sign of mature adulthood. He was the spitting image of a veteran hero.

Link and Epona turned down the road to reach the lively market, squeezing past stands and shoppers. A few kids stopped to gawk at the mammoth-sized horse as they passed, clearly intimidated. One of the braver ones came up to tentatively poke Epona's side. As if playing along, Epona snorted loudly, causing the kids to run off, screaming and giggling. Thoroughly amused, Link mentally thanked the spirits for letting him enjoy such simple, yet blissful, moments. In those seven years of Ganondorf-less life, he had never taken peace for granted. Everything was finally back to normal.

Reaching his destination, a small market stand, he secured his horse's reins to a pole and greeted Lucien, his Ordonian friend and stand owner. Lucien and Link had started a small business in Castle Town's market, taking advantage of the market's phenomenal reputation. Though they were predominantly known for their goat milk, they sold Ordon's agricultural goods in the fall and spring and occasionally came to sell their blacksmith's products on the off seasons. Lucien took care of the management while Link came to restock their merchandise two or three times a week. They managed a comfortable income of rupees for Ordon's farmers, blacksmiths and themselves.

Lucien spoke with a customer as Link began to unload the sacks and poaches of goods off of Epona, setting them on the ground. He set a few cases of bottled goat milk on the empty spot on their stand table and restocked the rest of the merchandise. He found there was no need to rush, so it took him about 20 minutes to unload and arrange everything. Just as Link finished wiping him brow and arranging his last handful of herbs, Lucien tossed him a red apple. Link caught it with ease, his reflexes still intact.

Link raised his azure his eyes to see Lucien leaning nonchalantly against the tent pole, taking a bite out of his own apple as he watched Link with smiling eyes.

"How was your trip? I imagine it was long. You need the sugar as much as Epona does." Lucien eyed the apple in Link's hand.

Link smiled at his friend, and bounced the apple in his hand a few times before taking a generous bite. "It wasn't so bad. The exercise did us some good, and we didn't run into any trouble which is rather surprising." Link replied as he pulled his leather messenger bag over his head and set it on the table. He leaned back on the edge of the table, crossing one of his arms as he gratefully ate his apple.

"That is surprising. Folk's are saying a lot of moblins have been out and about in Hyrule field causing ruckus. Nothing too dangerous," Lucien ran a hand through his rust coloured hair, his brown eyes sparkling and alive, a trait shared among Ordonians. "Just theft and nasty taunts."

Link shrugged, his apple cracking loudly under his teeth. "Nope, I didn't meet any on the road. Thankfully."

"I think they probably know better than to mess with the blue eyed beast." Lucien chortled, his eyes crinkling.

Link rolled his eyes, smiling. "You make me sound like a monster."

"Oh, excuse me," Lucien held out his hand innocently. A wide smirk stretched across his face. "Hero chosen by the gods."

Link laughed and mocked a hiss of annoyance as he half-crossed his leg over the other, his right ankle above his left knee. "Let's just stick to Link." Lucien flashed him a grin, and the brown haired man continued. "How's your wife?"

"She's well. Our baby has four more months before we can welcome him or her to the family. Serra is glowing with health so I'm not worried at all. I know she'll give birth to a beautiful, healthy child." The red head beamed, a look of wonder on his freckled face.

Link quietly admired his friend's enthusiasm as he rambled on about his new home in Castle Town with Serra, his wife, and how they were preparing for their child's arrival. The subject slightly irked him for the sole reason of acceptance. He couldn't stomach the fact that he and everyone around him was growing up. Maybe it was the fact that he had had such an enormous amount of responsibility strapped to his back at the tender age of 17 that he hadn't had to time to grow up properly. And now his entire friend circle was nearing its maturity peak. It almost felt as if he had woken up one day, and all of his friends were wed and happy parents.

"I remember you swearing off marriage when we were nine or ten. You kept saying you were going to be a knight, and that females were but a nuisance." Link mocked lightheartedly, laughing at the memory.

Lucien grimaced. "They still are. A wife is like a second mother! I have a damned curfew!" He exclaimed comically as he held out his apple core for Epona to devour. Link watched him feed his horse, a smile on his lips at Lucien's statement. Then he noticed Lucien's eyes soften considerably as his friend watched the remnants of his apple disappear from his hand. Lucien's lips tugged into a genuine smile. "But a good wife is the best thing a man can have. To know you're sharing your life with the woman you love is... thrilling." The stand owner paused, taking a moment to lose himself in his thoughts.

Link watched, curious and a tad jealous. Link wasn't completely foreign to the feelings of love or desire, and he had had his share of women. Heck, Link was a handsome man, and he knew women appreciated his good looks. He could essentially ensnare whichever female he wanted. But he was never secure in his relationships. Though he was content with a tranquil life, he craved to find insight and adventure in a woman. A need for enthrallment was embedded in his genes. The problem was that he didn't know exactly what he was looking for — he just knew that he needed something else, someone refreshing.

"What about you? Don't you have your eye on Illia?" Lucien pulled Link out of his musing, genuine concern in his tone.

Link looked down at the half eaten apple in his hand. "No, Illia is just a friend to me. We've been through a lot together, but I can't bring myself to settle down with her. I'm not right for her," Link brought his head back up only to avoid Lucien's gaze again. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks darkening. "This may sound cheesy, but I'm waiting to find the right one. My soulmate, you could say."

Lucien stared at Link, his mouth agape. Link stole small glances at his friend, feeling his face become hot. He continued to gawk before Link pursed his thin lips together. "What?!"

The redhead's laughter exploded, and he slapped his knee a couple times as he buckled down. Meanwhile, Link sizzled in embarrassment. Lucien continued to laugh for a few moments, to the point of tears.

"You're right! That was really cheesy!" Lucien squeaked in between his convulsions of laughter.

Link grumbled an insult, standing up from his spot and turning around to avoid further embarrassment as he began to take a frustrated bite of his crisp apple. Now facing the market street, Link settled for people-watching as Lucien forced his laughter to a semi-stop to serve a customer.

The brown-haired man leaned forwards on the wooden table, his elbows supporting his weight. He chewed his apple casually, examining the market people. His sharp eyes scanning over the crowd, he realized that the people themselves hadn't changed much in 7 years. They remained spirited, peppy townsfolk with a good sense of community.

As he sunk his pearly whites into the last bit of his juicy treat, he spotted a dark figure across the way. The figure was cloaked, and roughly half the size of him. To make it even more suspicious, the person had put their hood up. The individual reminded Link of a shadow; quasi unnoticeable unless you really looked for it.

After a few minutes of observation, much to Link's prediction, he spotted the cloaked figure slipping his hand into the pocket of an unsuspecting customer of another stand. Although the motion of pick-pocketing itself had been mastered by the executor, Link could spot that barely perceivable twitch of the arm from a mile away. After the crime was committed, the pickpocket hurriedly made his way north of the market, an unnatural casualness in his swift stride.

Link exhaled loudly through his nose as a sting of obligation pulsed in his gut. He pushed himself up from the table, bit the remaining piece of apple off the core and tossed it towards Epona's hooves. His eyes never left the shadow-like figure rushing away as Link dismissively excused himself from his stand, Lucien willing him to come back soon.

He waded through the densely packed crowd with ease and grace, keeping up with the small figure but never exceeding a brisk walk. He followed the hooded person past the market, into town square, around the enormous fountain and then down a slightly less crowded street, heading west.

Link made note of the small alley coming up in the next 5 meters to his direct right. The former hero increased his speed to approach his target and took advantage of his now close proximity to firmly grab the back of the pickpocket's cloak. He then took a sharp turn into the alley, pulling the criminal along with him and earning a surprised squeak from his target.

The individual was so light that Link had actually picked the small one up by the back of his cloak, much like how one would pick up a puppy by the scruff. In the process, their hood had slipped off and revealed a young boy - no more than 12 years old.

Link's eyes locked with the boy's frightened ones. He almost felt guilty for manhandling the child, but he reminded himself that what the kid did was wrong. To further add on to Link's indifference, he noticed the boy's overall appearance: he was clean, groomed and well dressed - the opposite of a street beggar. Why was a modest child stealing?

Link put the kid down to his feet but kept his iron grip on the back of his expensive cloak. The child gulped as his polished boots gave a soft thump. "Why are you stealing?" Link asked bluntly, his voice stoic.

"I'm not." The black haired boy responded, his voice quivering.

"Oh? Then how did you get those rupees you have in your pocket?"

"I didn't steal them! I simply took back what was mine!" The boy cried, his brows narrowing. "That man took those from me, and I followed him to the market to get them back."

Link gave the boy a long, hard look. He then let go of the kid and crossed his arms over his chest. "How many rupees?"

The child rubbed the sore spot on his neck from being yanked as he gave Link a quizzical look. He seemed to have regained his composure, a look of rebellion in his deep maroon eyes. "150." He replied simply.

Link sighed. "I may be old fashioned, but back when I was your age, my wallet never had more than 50 rupees. Are you royalty? Why are you carrying around so much money?"

"Why are you asking me these questions?!" The younger one exclaimed, frustrated.

"I won't let you leave this alley until you answer me. I can't tell if you're lying or truthful about your theft."

"It wasn't theft! I told you," his eyes flickered angrily as he spoke evenly. "That man stole the money from me. I'm in town to buy medicine from the doctor's place, and I left my mule outside the town. As soon as I looked the other way, that guy had stolen my stuff! So I took it back. There. Can I go now?"

"Medicine? Are you ill?" Link questioned, disregarding the child's main concern.

The boy grumbled loudly. "No! It's for someone."

Link gave the boy another one of his long, thoughtful squints before moving. "I don't believe you."

"I don't have all day! I don't care if you believe me or not! Find someone else to bug, you nosy moron! Good day!" The kid snapped and turned towards the exit, stomping off. Link swiftly took hold of his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"Allow me to escort you to the doctor's, and then I'll see if I believe you." Link casually offered from behind him, a polite smile on his lips. Through his calm and kind facade, Link had given the kid a rather tight squeeze in his shoulder to punctuate his offer.

The boy glared over his shoulder at the blue eyed man before shrugging his hand off of his shoulder and mumbling an agreement. "Manipulative cow-head..." The fair-skinned boy muttered to himself as they walked out of the alley.

They made their way to the Castle Town's doctor's office in silence, Link trailing behind the 12 year old. Link was greeted by a few people as they walked down the street, causing the kid to become curious, even against his will.

"You're a popular one." He remarked as they walked down the dirt road.

A small smile curved itself to the side of Link's mouth. He eyed some stray cats as he replied. "Not popular, just appreciated."

"What'd you do? Save a cat from a tree?" The kid scoffed.

"I saved everyone from being stuck in eternal twilight. But I did pull the cat-saving act of heroism in another town, though. Good call." Link replied, his snarky-ness a little more subdued than the kid's.

The boy looked at Link with a questioning frown before turning back around, taking his reply as a joke. "You're odd."

Link stared at the boy's back. From what he had said, the ex hero concluded that the boy must have not known of him. After all, he would've been 5 at the time. Link felt a little refreshed from the boy's attitude. He smiled to himself. "What's your name?"

"You don't need to know."

"Is it Finn?"

The boy suddenly turned around, wide eyed. "W-wh-! How did you-?!"

"The name-tag sewed to your shirt is sticking out. I must say, your mother did a fine lettering job." Link pointed a long finger at the boy's back, a grin on his face.

Finn's face flushed such a deep shade of red that you could've concerned yourself over the rush of blood. He turned around immediately, bringing his hand back to stuff the tag back into his shirt as he broke out into a speed walk. Link gave the kid's back a lopsided beam.

A few minutes later, the duo came to a stop in front of two very old doors. The building itself was a few meters away from Castle Town's western entrance, and it was situated just across a narrow road. Finn took hold of the door handle and pulled it open, Link following him inside.

A small rectangular room welcomed them, a bookshelf pushed against the left wall and a few wooden chairs were scattered here and there. There were more rooms past this one, but they were all separated by a quick setup of white cloth supported by wooden poles. The room smelt of wax and strong disinfectant. Other chemicals mixed into the smell, but the odours were all foreign to Link. He had been here before, yet he didn't remember it to be so grimy.

Finn made his way down the short hallway made of walls of cloth and wood, and turned into the doctor's office, Link once again following the boy. The doctor, a tiny old man, was hunched over a table, his hands fiddling with bottles.

"Excuse us, doctor." Finn spoke out, his voice even and polite. The elfin doctor glanced up from his work, spectacles the size of fists upon his face.

"Oh, Finn!" He exclaimed with a worn croak. He spun on his stool and pushed himself off, walking towards the two. "I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"We didn't think we'd need to pick up the medicine so soon either," From his spot behind the curtain-like wall, Link noticed that Finn was an inch taller than the old man. Finn continued. "He's only getting worse. At night, he sweats buckets before breaking out into violent chills. His chest pains and cough worsen day by day. On top of it all, red and splotchy rashes appear out of nowhere and sometimes turn into blisters."

"Hmm..." The doctor mused, calmly processing the information. Link raised an eyebrow, eyeing Finn. Although his curiosity itched him, he did not ask anything. "Very alarming. Nodules, ulcers and skin lesions are next in line if you don't give him the prescription."

Finn's lower lip frowned in distress. "Then please give me the prescription, doctor Borville! I'll get it to him as soon as possible!"

Borville nodded, unruffled. "Of course, child. Come with me." He made his way to the doorway, past Finn. As he turned, he noticed the older man behind Finn. "Look at all these familiar faces! Hello, Ordon boy."

Link nodded at the doctor, good-naturedly. "It's been a while."

Not questioning him any further, Borville walked to another room. Finn began following, walking in sync with Link. "You're from Ordon?"

"Yes," Looking down at Finn, he bounced back a question. "Where are you from?"

The twelve year old hesitated. "I'm not... from anywhere. I live in a troupe. We travel from region to region, stopping in villages and cities to perform," The dark haired boy explained. "We live in our carts and wagons. They're kind of like portable homes."

They followed the doctor into a slightly bigger room with bottles, books, tools and boxes strewn across the tables. Borville willed them to wait while he looked for a container to store the medicine in.

Link settled himself into a wooden chair, his arm draped onto the back of the chair proper. "Is someone in your troupe sick?"

Finn fumbled through his cloak pockets, pulling out a small leather sack. He sighed heavily. "Why do you need to know?"

Link put on a pleasant smile. "Remember that I'm not leaving you alone until I'm convinced you had a good reason to steal."

"Oh, for the love of..." Finn grumbled, exasperated. "No, he's not in our troupe. We found him collapsed on the outskirts of Gerudo desert. We've been taking care of him for at least two weeks but he hasn't gotten any better. He barely eats or talks, and we think he's suffering from amnesia as well. He doesn't remember where he's from or who he is."

"And from the sounds of it, he's also suffering from a sickness found in the Gerudo region: Cocci," Dr. Borville added on as he came back to the two with a small wooden box in each hand. "If the spores from a soil-dwelling fungus called Coccidioides immitis is inhaled into the lungs, the infection begins. A lot of Gerudo folks suffer from it due to the sudden outbreak of spores in the desert region. The sickness is not contagious, but it is fatal if nothing is done. Those with weak immune systems have trouble fighting it off."

Link pondered on the information just offered to him. Ever since he had stopped adventuring around Hyrule, he was no longer aware of the happenings around the land. He almost felt guilty. Being involved in the solutions of global problems was in his nature and now he was out of the loop.

The doctor turned to Finn and set the boxes in his hands, briefly going over instructions for each separate box. Finn handed him the sack of rupees, glancing at Link as he did so. Borville thanked him and bid farewell to the both of them before going back to the previous room. The two males stayed in the room, Finn curiously peering into each box while Link watched him, dazed.

"Finn," Link brought the boy out of his stare. "Where is your troupe now?"

"West of Lake Hylia."

"That's half a day's ride from here... Did you come alone?"

"I was dropped off with another trouper and was supposed to go home with him, but he rode to Kakariko to pick up spring water. He told me I would be fine going home by myself if I left early morning." The maroon eyed boy carefully placed the boxes of medicine in his inner cloak pockets as he spoke. Finn sighed. "But my mule was stolen, as I said before. It'll take me a day to walk back."

"Walking - no - even riding during the night is dangerous due to all the moblins out and about. And it's already late afternoon, kid. Waiting an entire night and a full day before delivering the prescription would not be wise either..." Link continued, pursing his lips as he looked around the room, thinking.

"So you believe me now?" Finn smirked.

Link brought his gaze back onto the boy and chuckled. "Yes, I apologize. Let me make it up to you," he spoke as he stood up from his chair. "I'll bring you back to your troupe."


	2. Chapter Two: The Troupe

Chapter two

A family of fern trees stood tall, scarred in the middle by a wide dirt path for wanderers. Birds watched a traveler amble along the path, a fine mare transporting a child by his side.

The older man gazed at his surroundings, a look of nostalgia crossing his features. A breeze tussled through the trees, and with every leaf that floated to the gravel before him, he was reminded of his twilight days. He and the twilight princess had made their way through this shortcut to Hylia Lake many times. Thoughts wandering to his former companion, he wondered where she was and what she was doing. After seven years, he sometimes asked himself if he had just made her up. It was so long ago that the image of Midna would slip from his mind time to time.

He greedily filled his lungs with the crisp air finely concocted by the pine trees, and eyed the curious sparrow watching him and his fellow traveler. Link turned to Finn as he walked. The dark haired boy was mesmerized by the woods surrounding them.

"How's it going up there?" Link asked, pulling Finn out of his daydreams.

"My butt's sore," Finn whined, looking down at Link from the top of Epona. "Where did you find such a huge horse?"

"I've had her for a very long time. I remember having her offered to me by someone from my village when I was your age." The blue eyed Ordonian replied as he stroked Epona's neck.

"How old are you anyways?" Finn asked, cheerfully curious.

"How old do I look?" Link chuckled.

Finn leaned in his saddle as he held on tightly to the saddle so he wouldn't fall, closer to Link. He squinted his eyes and examined Link's features.

"Huh... Maybe thirty? I don't know... The way you speak sounds like an old man. Late twenties? Your face is hard to- AH!" In the middle of his sentence, Finn had leaned too far. The saddle slipped sideways and fell off completely, sending Finn to the gravel with a messy landing.

Link bit back a laugh and stopped to stare at Finn's crash landing. Epona stopped as well, unfazed. "Oops. I guess I didn't tighten the saddle well enough." He chuckled to himself as he examined Epona's middle. He looked back down at Finn whom was glaring a hole through him. This time, Link couldn't hold back a loud snort.

"NOT FUNNY! I could've seriously injured myself! You're such a-!"

Suddenly, a bush nearby was ruffled in an unnatural way. A croaky shriek was heard before a decently sized moblin charged out of the bush, a makeshift sword in hand. Epona let out a startled neigh while Finn yelped helplessly as he watched the moblin make its way directly at him. Finn started to back up on the ground but his legs would refuse to function properly and stand him up to make a run for it. The unpleasant-looking moblin lifted his weapon in a bloodthirsty manner, about to slash down on Finn.

Finn shut his eyes and put out his arms in front of him for defense, but before the moblin cut him, he heard it shriek and hit the ground, his sword clattering. Finn opened his brown eyes to see Link in a post-punch stance. He then looked at the moblin only to see the creature disappear in a thick cloud of dark smoke. Link walked over to the dispersing cloud and picked up a small, ornamental skull the moblin had been sporting.

He flipped it over in his hand a few times. He seemed completely unfazed. His eyes were even sparkling like a child's on Christmas morning as played with his new treasure. "Cool!" he turned to Finn, still squatting. "Do you want this? It would look neat with your cloak."

Baffled, Finn gawked at his saviour. He was unable to lift himself from his spot on the ground. "W-what? How did you do that?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "How did I do what?" He made his way over to the younger boy and tossed him the small decorative skull.

Finn caught it, his trembling hands cupped. He glanced at it dismissively before raising his head back up to Link. "That moblin... You killed it with your bare hands."

Link helped Finn up from his spot on the ground with an unconcerned fluidity. He offered a sheepish grin as Finn steadied himself with the help of Link's arm. "I've encountered numerous moblins in the past couple of years."

Finn weakly dusted his thighs and bottom as he took deep, soothing breaths. After a few moments, he found his composure and let go of Link's sleeve. As the two walked back to Epona, Link kept a watchful eye on Finn in case the boy found himself with another case of the wobbles. The blue-eyed man caught Finn looking down into his hand at the ornamental skull and then running a thumb over its smooth surface. Link smiled.

"Did that have anything to do with that whole 'saving Hyrule from twilight' thing?" Finn asked after he was helped back onto the giant mare.

"It certainly does," Link responded as he walked beside Finn and his mount. "I imagine you were too young to remember anything about the twilight invasion. Are you familiar with the tale of the blue-eyed beast?"

Finn pondered on the question for a few seconds, pursing his lips. He snapped his fingers when he seemed to recall old stories. "Oh yeah! People in the troupe would talk about it sometimes. The young knight who turned into a wolf to fight off immortal zombies, evil Gorons, underwater creatures the size of ten whales and even the dark spirit of Faron woods!" Finn turned to Link.

Link blinked at him. "Was he a wolf the entire time?"

Shrugging, Finn lowered his eyes to his skull gift, toying it around in his small hands. "I think so."

Link scoffed, his hand rising to muse on the minimal amount of scruff that lived on his chin. "Dark spirit of Faron woods and evil Gorons? I also don't remember any creatures the size of ten whales..." He mumbled to no one in particular as he focused his azure eyes on the ground. Stories can really get out of hand.

"What did you say?" Finn caught a part of his muttering, looking back down at Link as he tried to pin the skull to his cloak, as Link had suggested.

Link raised his head to see the end of their path in the distance: a clearing with numerous tents, wagons and horses scattered in a semi-circle. With the large quantity of mobile home-wagons and tents, the community looked like a small village. "I said I think we've arrived."

* * *

It was late afternoon when the two entered the makeshift village, Finn now on his own two feet, greeting a few of his fellow troupers as he walked by. Link followed him, leading Epona by her reins. People were out and about: cooking, practicing skits, playing music, laughing, and talking. He gave small smiles to people who glanced at him suspiciously. He was pleased to see that his bashful greetings were returned once they saw Link offer a smile. He noted that the troupers were all varied in age and gender. Some were whole families with everything from small infants to grandparents while some other troupers seemed to be on their own. Most were Hylian with a few exceptions of darker skinned individuals. Though everyone was different in some way or another, they all looked like a big, giant family. A comfortable and welcoming ambience radiated from the lively group, and Link immediately found himself to be at ease within the new community.

Finn had given Link some details on his troupe while they had traveled. The troupe itself was not some poor batch of mummers, japing at crossroads for pennies, singing for their suppers. They were court performers, the king of Hyrule's men. Their arrival in most towns was more of an event than most gatherings and celebrations rolled together. There were usually at least nine wagons in the troupe and well over two dozen performers: actors and acrobats, musicians and hand magicians, juggler and jesters: Finn's family.

Their patron was Lord Aristide, and his name opened many doors that would ordinarily be closed to any traveling troupe. In return they wore his colours, green and grey, and added to his reputation wherever they went. All in all, they were a happy and promising troupe.

The two reached a decently sized home wagon in the curve of the semi circle and Finn turned to Link. "This is my house. You're welcome to tie your horse to that post over there with the other horses," He gestured over to the side of the house where two other stallions stood. Though they weren't saddled or even tied to the post, they leisurely hung around it. "Or you can just leave her here. We don't mind if you want to let your horse wander."

Link nodded in thanks but gave him an apologetic chuckled. "Well I don't really think I need to stay any longer. You're home safe, and I'm sure you've had your share of me being on your back. I'll head back to Hyrule Castle."

Finn watched him with hesitant eyes. "It'll be night by the time you're halfway there. Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

Before Link could respond, the door to Finn's home wagon creaked open. A middle aged woman with long, dirty blonde hair stood in the doorway with a woven basket overflowing with clothes. She stopped dead in her tracks when her rounded eyes fell on Finn who turned to look at her. She gawked for a few moments before her eyebrows furrowed and she loaded her arms back with the basket, taking her aim.

She hurled the basket at Finn but he skillfully dodged it, ducking down. Link, who was standing directly behind Finn however, took the basket to the head. The woman didn't notice the man she inadvertently hit and strode aggressively towards Finn. The young boy began running away, yelping, but the woman caught his shirt and reeled him back to her. All the while, Link stood still, shirts and other pieces of clothing dripped from his head.

"BOY! Where have you been?!" She shouted, causing Finn to flinch as he watched the woman before him place her hands on her hips.

"Don't yell at me yet, mom! You don't know the full story!" Finn cried. The woman, Finn's mother, huffed in response.

"You were supposed to be back yesterday! Do you know how worried I was?! Did you dawdle around the town, you procrastinator? Look, I know we don't go out to Castle Town much but I was really starting to worry!" She scolded.

As the two squabbled and Finn explained what had happened, Link plucked the clothing off him and gathered the remainder of it before placing back into the basket and setting it neatly on the ground. As entertaining as it was, Link turned and began to mount Epona. After doing a double take back at Link, Finn let out a small gasp in the middle of his argument.

"Hey! Wait! You can't just leave, Link!" The boy called out to him.

Finn's mother frowned at his son's change of topic, but reluctantly turned her eyes over to the man Finn was addressing. Link politely declined but Finn came up to him to continue pushing. As the two talked, Finn's mother watched the young man attentively. She recognized him to be from Ordon, but there was something else that reminded her of a distant memory she had long forgotten. She brushed it off and made her way over to the two.

Finn turned to his mother in mid-debate. "Mom, it's okay for Link to stay, right? I mean, he helped me get back to the troupe and all! And he also saved me from a moblin!"

Link opened his mouth with a grateful smile to protest, but Finn's mother interrupted. She looked up at him from the ground and offered him a gentle smile. Link blinked at her sudden change of attitude. "Yes, young man. As thanks, we'd be more than happy to let you stay for as long as you'd like. It will get dark soon anyways. You should at least spend the night with us. There's no trouble with it at all, I guarantee!"

"Exactly! Besides, I was wondering if you could maybe show me a few fighting moves..." Finn added, watching him with hopeful eyes.

Link hesitated, looking back between Finn and his mother whom were both giving him wide, welcoming smiles. He sighed, defeated. "I'd be honoured to stay with your troupe for the night. Thank you very much." With a polite nod of the head, he swung his legs off of Epona and stood before the two troupers. "But don't feel obliged to go out of your way for me. I would hate to be a burden."

"Nonsense! It's the least we could do for helping our little boy." The light haired woman beamed, giving Finn's head a small pat. Link smiled politely again and bowed his head in gratitude. "My name is Meduhi, Finn's mother. My husband, Reil, is our troupe's headman, who I'm sure you'll get the opportunity to meet later tonight."

Link nodded and held out his hand, taking Meduhi's in his and letting her dip into a short curtsey. Meduhi smiled at the young man's good manners. "I'm Link. I come from Ordon in Faron Woods."

Then, Meduhi noticed the shape and the shade of blue Link's eyes possessed. She also noted the small, metal loop that hung from his ear. She was extra keen on the information he had given her: he was from Ordon. She smirked as she put all the pieces together in her mind.

She nodded her head at him and backtracked to her laundry basket, all while keeping the smirk on her lips. Before she left their presence, she turned one last time. "I knew I recognized you. Make yourself at home, hero," she spoke as she motioned for Link to follow her, beaming once again. "And Finn, don't forget to deliver the medicine to Clara."

Link raised an eyebrow at her comment but shrugged it off. He wasn't particularly surprised that she knew of him, though he was confused as to what she meant by recognizing him. He didn't remember meeting her, but then again, he had met a lot of people in a short amount of time. He couldn't remember everyone's faces.

Finn brushed off both of his mother's comment, not realizing what she had just said about Link. "So, you'll teach me a few fighting moves later then?" Finn asked as Link began following Meduhi, leaving Epona to wander around on her own. Link turned to him nodded.

"Sure thing, kiddo," he replied. "Though I'd call them self defense moves rather than 'fighting' moves."

"Sweet! Then I'll see you later." Finn beamed ear to ear before running off, his cloak fanning out as he jogged away.

Link turned and continued to follow Meduhi towards the wagon to get settled in for the night.

* * *

_Panic pumped through his veins and agony surged through every part of his body. His golden eyes were glazed over with terror, blinding him. The only thing he could see was the hilt of a sword pointed at his middle - the rest was just pure black. He looked down breathlessly to see a sword impaling him through his abdomen. He felt no pain, he saw no blood. All he could hear was the deafening sound of his own heart racing furiously in his ears. He felt his body go numb, starting in his middle. He drifted into unconsciousness, or death, he couldn't tell. As his lids fell over his eyes, he heard someone speak, "Return him to the sands from which he came. He will not bother us again."_

The young woman watched him groan, following his head tilt with her hand. She held a cold, wet cloth to his burning forehead. Her own forehead was creased with worry, though she was used to seeing the sickly man fuss in his sleep. He stopped moving and laid still in the bed once again, his breathing steadying. The woman sighed in relief before gently peeling the cloth off of his skin, revealing a deep purple gemstone on his forehead. She dabbed at his darkly skinned cheeks and wiped away the cold sweat. She then wrung the old water out of the cloth into a small bucket placed beside her on the floor.

As she stood from the ground, she gave the young man one last look and brushed a piece of his red hair that was plastered to his face away. She picked up the bucket and made her way out of the dark tent, into the troupe's temporary abode. She saw a few adults starting up a large campfire with their kids behind them, carrying plates and cutlery. One of the adults waved to her when they spotted her. She waved back before walking over to a few trees.

"Muar!" She heard her name being called as she dumped the bucket filled with dirty water into the grass below the trees. She turned her head to see Finn running over to her. Smiling, the young woman began turning towards the boy, forgetting about the bucket of water. Due to her sudden turn, she managed to soak the entire left side of her navy dress. She gasped and set the bucket down, assembling the wet part of her dress in her hands.

"Look what you made me do!" She hissed once Finn reached her, holding up the side of her dress for him to see. He was holding back a laugh as she smacked him lightly atop the head.

"You'd think you would know how to handle yourself at twenty-one," Finn taunted before yelping as Muar attempted to land another hit. He distanced himself from her as she finished dumping the water. "Why is everyone trying to hit me today?"

"Because you disappeared for two days!" Muar countered, turning back around to walk back down to the tent. She looked at Finn, her brown eyes playful. "You had us all worried sick!"

"Only you and my mom. Everyone else knew I was bound to come back." Finn answered, watching the taller woman walk past him. He followed her to a faucet sticking out of the ground beside the tent. Turning the valve, Muar held the bucket under the spout as fresh water poured out in a slow stream.

"If it weren't for that guy from Ordon, you probably wouldn't have made it back." The girl straightened after placing the bucket on the ground. She cringed at the feeling of her wet dress, plastering itself to her leg. The brunette grumbled as she peeled the fabric off her leg, wringing it out.

Finn scoffed as he watched her. He placed his hands on the back of his head. "Yeah, well if it weren't for me, you and Clara wouldn't have gotten the medicine!" Clara was Muar's foster grandmother and the troupe's elderly shaman. As a young orphan, Muar had been adopted into the troupe by Clara when they had spotted the little girl in Kakariko village. Clara had taught Muar how to nurse people back to health throughout her years in the troupe. Now Muar helped out her grandma whenever she could.

Muar snickered at his defensiveness and nodded. "That's true. Thank you, Finn."

Finn gave the girl a grin before dropping his hands and glancing down at the bucket. "How is he doing now by the way?"

"Better. His fever is dropping down and the pomade is working wonders on his rashes," Muar stretched out her back, sore from staying seated for so long. The sky was turning dark and she was growing increasingly hungry. As her shoulders cracked, she moaned and Finn grimaced. "Clara says she wouldn't be surprised if he woke up again in the next few days."

Finn's previous grin immediately grew. "So he'll be okay?!"

"Of course he will! Although I don't think his memory will return," The girl sighed. "Not yet."

Finn turned the faucet off for Muar once they saw the bucket was full. She picked it up and ambled towards the tent, carrying the heavy weight. Finn pulled the tent open for her as they both entered the space. Finn went to go light a lantern as Muar set down the bucket beside the bed that the young man was tucked into and sat on her knees beside him.

She dipped the cloth into the fresh water, mildly wrung it out and placed it on the man's forehead once again. She took in his features as Finn lit a lantern. He had dark skin with long, tousled hair of contrasting red-orange tied back in a messy braid. She had thought about grooming his locks, but she felt it to be an invasion of his space. He also had a dark violet gem decorating his forehead. He was a tall man with a medium build. When he had briefly been awake in Clara's presence, she had been told he had sharp, golden eyes and a husky voice. She had also learned that he suffered from amnesia: he didn't know where he was from, or who he was. All he could remember was his name.

"You think he's a Gerudo?" Finn asked, now beside Muar. He set the lantern down beside the bed.

"It would explain his traits," Muar mused. "But I was told that Gerudo males are very rare. One Gerudo boy is born every 100 years and they become a prince."

"Then is he a prince?" The dark haired boy asked eagerly.

"Maybe."

"Maybe he'll give us gold and stuff..." Finn commented.

"I wouldn't count on that," Muar and Finn turned to look at the tent entrance to see Clara walking through the opening. She was a small woman nearing her sixties, but her eyes and voice held strength and energy. "If he was a prince, why was he left abandoned on the outskirts of his homeland?" Clara approached the pair and grinned a toothy smile. "You two should be out helping with the bonfire. Everyone is preparing a big feast for the young man from Ordon."

"For Link?! Really?" Finn stood, reaching the same four feet and a half as Clara. She nodded, her arms resting in her sleeves in front of her. Finn did cavorted for a short moment before grabbing Muar's arm and pulling her up. "C'mon! You have to come meet him! He's really strong and cool and he told me he has a sword and everything! His horse is huge and he-"

While Finn babbled on about his saviour, Muar looked over at her grandmother, tentatively, as she was pulled up from her knees and dragged towards the exit. "Go, child. I'll watch over the young man. It's not everyday you get to meet the hero chosen by the goddesses."

"The hero chosen by the wha-?" Muar blinked but before she could ask any more questions, she was already out of the tent. She saw Clara poke her head out of the tent to call out to her.

"And don't forget to dry your dress before you meet him!"

In spite of her confusion, she followed Finn to the already blazing bonfire. Tables were being carried towards the fire and wives were setting down platters of meat and vegetables as well as glasses of wine.

Finn and Muar were immediately given chores to do as everyone buzzed about. As she set up various things for the feast, she stole many glances over to the tent. She set out plates and cutlery as she thought about the young man from Gerudo and recalled his name.

_Who are you, Ganon?_


	3. Chapter 3: Revelation

Chapter 3

The same blue sky that had watched over the troupe for the day was now engulfed in a blanket of midnight black, dotted with holes known as stars. Though the forest was asleep, the royal troupe was not. A bonfire the diameter of five grown men sat in the middle of the forest clearing. The flames licked the air with the glow of a thousand lanterns as it blazed up to half the height of a pine tree. Surrounding the friendly fire were multiple tables, circled around the pit. The tables sat at a comfortable distance from the flames: close enough to feel the radiating warmth, but far enough to give dancing space. People laughed, drank, sang, danced and ate. A moment did not go by without entertainment.

Link shared a table with Finn, his family and a few new faces. Though the feast had been thrown in his honour, the troupers did not crowd him. They didn't worship him nor did they disregard him. They simply treated him as one of their own.

Reil, father of Finn, sat beside the hero, a large mug of golden beer cupped in his large, artisan hands. He was a man of large build - his shoulders broad and his height easily surpassing Link's 6'. He proudly sported a thick beard and a full head of curly black hair, and below his luxuriant eyebrows were a pair of crinkled emerald eyes, a reminder of his late 40s. But underneath his intimidating demeanor was a kind hearted leader, father and husband. He laughed easily, flirted openly with his wife and drank a wealth: three signs of a happy man.

Reil was currently erupting in thunderous laughter as he watched a dancing couple tumble to the ground after a few too many spins in front of the merry bonfire. Link couldn't help but smile at the older man's outburst as he began to take a sip of his own mug of brew, already a third empty. Normally, he wouldn't have drank as he disliked the taste of beer. He much preferred fruit wine, but declining a drink from this troupe was considered an offensive act. He watched the numerous couples dance and spin around the fire, their moves in sync with the music playing. In front of him sat Finn, who was turned to face the bonfire. He clapped along to the music and sang with a wide grin.

As Link began to feel his nose start to sink into the foam of his drink, Reil smacked him right in the back as he laughed drunkenly about something. This caused the young man to jerk forward then back, the liquid in his mug rocking back and forth until it splashed onto his clean shirt and the table. Link groaned, but it wasn't in his nature to fuss over those sorts of things. That, and he was starting to slip into a slightly tipsy state.

"Would you look at this?! I haven't seen this troupe dance and sing with such excitement in the past couple of weeks!" Reil bellowed, oblivious to the mess he had just induced. Finn looked back as his father spoke. "Who knew such a young fellow could bring about so much energy?"

Finn opened his mouth to reply, but he stopped when his eyes flickered over to Link's shirt. He pouted upon seeing the stain and Link's sheepish expression. "Father! Look what you've done!" Finn cried in accusation.

Reil ignored him entirely, standing up from his spot on the bench table and pointing a finger to a couple in the dance crowd. "Is that what you call dancing?! You youngings have no backbone! Step aside," In his drunken stupor, the leader managed to step out of the bench sturdily. He took Meduhi's hand from across the table and circled around to be on the other side. "We'll show you how it's done."

With this, the couple squeezed into the circle of dancers as Meduhi giggled uncontrollably in her husband's arms. Cat calls and whistles emitted from the tables as the dance continued. Finn turned back around to see Link smiling in amusement, his hand holding the wet spot of his shirt away from his skin. Once Finn caught his eye again, the boy offered a snarl. "Sorry, Link. He gets a little rowdy during bonfires."

Link laughed and waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine. He's quite the entertainer! I can see why he's at the head of the troupe."

Finn smiled at this before glancing back down at Link's soiled garment. "You can go rinse that off at the water spout over there," Finn pointed a finger towards the other side of the bonfire. "Before the brew soaks in completely."

With a nod, the brown-haired man slowly straightened himself up from the bench. "I'll be right back."

Mildly tipsy, Link decided to take a shortcut through the dancing circle to circumnavigate the bonfire. He returned the laughing smiles of the happy troupers, fervently dancing with synced choreography. It had been a while that Link had drank, sang and been entertained to such heights. He felt the build up of stress unwind itself from the back of his mind, and his heart was light in his chest.

He dodged the dancers and made it halfway to his destination before his blue eyes met Reil's. Reil lifted his hand off of Meduhi's waist as he danced, his lazy smile splitting his beard. "Link, my boy!" He hollered before parting from his wife who effortlessly partnered up with another trouper. Reil strode over to the young man, his drunken smile never faltering. "Why don't you show us how well the blue eyed beast dances?"

Link spluttered, but before he could escape, Reil swiftly grabbed his arms and began twirling to the sound of the music. Link struggled to follow his jerky movements but smiled through it nonetheless. Reil brought him into the circle of skilled dancers.

After a few moments of stumbles, laughs and gallops, the choreography of the dance called for a switch of partners. Being a traditional dance, Link knew the steps and followed along without any difficulty. The type of hoedown required the dancing partners to perform a short minute-long choreography with a partner of the opposite gender before switching and repeating the same sequence of waltz-like movements.

He went through four different partner switches, his counterparts ranging from five year old gigglers to drunk grandmas. He laughed after his elderly partner who bid him a dramatic farewell as the group underwent another switch. He felt his hand mechanically place itself onto his next partner's waist while a soft hand was slipped into his other. When he turned his head, his eyes were met with a pair of warm, chocolate orbs. Her round face was framed by smooth, brown hair curled loosely down past the young woman's shoulders. She wore a leftover smile from her previous waltz.

The two silently stared at each other, their expressions neutral as they danced. He smiled down at her. Immediately, he was rewarded with a dimpled grin.

Muar felt her cheeks redden under the man's gaze. He was handsome: bright sapphire eyes, a medium build with an air of humble confidence about him. He wasn't at all what she expected. A war-loving muscle head was the image she had created from the stories of the hero, but this man emitted an intelligent and noble essence.

In the midst of her musing, she realized she was staring intently at the man whom was too busy trying to keep up with the dance to notice. She caught sight of a warm blush spreading across his face to his pointed ears. He was probably starting to feel the effects of alcohol, she guessed, for she could smell beer from her proximity to him. She quickly averted her gaze from his features to glance down his neck, to his shoulders, then his collar bone. Muar blinked curiously at the fresh stain on the front of his shirt.

Muar opened her mouth to point out the stain, but the dance called for a spin before she could speak. Link spun her, and she was ready with a remark when he brought her back to him.

"Hey, you're not a bad dancer," Muar smirked, causing Link to lock eyes with her. "But I'm not so sure about your alcohol tolerance." As she spoke, she glanced down at the stain on his shirt, justifying her point.

Link laughed, "Ah, that was an accident, I assure you. Though you're not much better than I, miss."

Muar cocked her head, "What do you mean?"

Link smiled as he stole a glance down at the skirt of her dress. Muar followed his gaze, only to yelp at the sight of her drenched garment, still not dry from earlier. She looked back up at him, meeting his smiling eyes, thoroughly pleased with himself.

"That's just water!" She argued, although she wasn't sure if water mixed with the sweat of a sickly man was any better than having beer embedded in one's clothing.

He chuckled before sending her spinning outward along with the music again. "Whatever you say," he replied when she was spun back into his arms. "I was actually just on my way to rinse this stain out. Someone said something about a water spout being around here."

Muar nodded and nudged her head sideways, motioning towards the spout. "It's right over there. I should probably rinse this out, too." She commented, glancing at her dress.

A playful smirk grew on Link's lips. "I thought you said it was just water."

As if on cue, the song ended with Link's remark. The dance stopped, and Muar was released from Link's hold with a laugh. Other dancers stopped briefly before starting a new choreography as a new song started to play. Link followed Muar out of the dancing circle, towards the spout.

Muar urged Link to rinse off first, turning the faucet on for him. He complied and started by splashing a handful of water over his warm face. Muar fought the desire to watch him cool off and tore her eyes away. She focused her eyes on the tent planted near the water faucet. The brunette was hit with thoughts of the mystery behind the man residing in the tent. She had temporarily forgotten about the amnesia-ridden man. A solid three hours had passed since she was last in the tent, and she wondered if he had maybe awakened within that time. Clara was with him, but she felt the need to be there for her patient if he ever awoke. A part of her desperately wanted to solve the mystery that was the supposedly Gerudo man.

She turned her head back to Link, aware that he had asked something, but unsure of what. "Pardon me?"

Link now stood before her, the front part of his shirt completely soaked. He didn't seem to mind. "May I ask what your name is?"

The young woman turned to face him completely, a smile playing on her lips. "It's Muar."

Link pondered a few moments before looking back down at her. He hesitated but spoke, "Muar." He uttered her name, as if tasting it. This brought forth a flurry of butterflies in Muar's stomach, unbeknownst to her as to why. Link, satisfied with the sound of her name, nodded. He reached out to take her hand in his and brought it up to his face. "I'm Link, if you didn't know already. It's nice to meet you." He smiled politely before pressing the back of her hand to his lips, chaste and courteous.

Muar's brain melted into goop, not used to such chivalry. "Likewise," she managed to stutter with a small curtsy. "And thank you for escorting Finn back to us. I don't think he would have been able to find his way back without your help."

Link released her hand and straightened to his full height. He shrugged, his blue eyes noticing the flush on her cheeks. He smiled at this. "It's my duty. And besides, Finn's a smart boy. I'm sure he would've figured it out." Muar scoffed, but Link continued. "Speaking of this, where is your patient? I've been curious about the illness he has contracted... Cocci, was it?"

Muar nodded, suddenly solemn. "Yes, but thanks to the medicine Finn brought back, his recovery has been quick. He has yet to awaken, but his life is no longer in danger," she twisted her head towards the tent. "He's resting in there with Clara at the moment, but I'm sure it'd be fine if you came in to take a peek."

The blue-eyed man thanked her before they made their way towards the small tent. Nearly a couple feet from the tent, Link felt a wave of dizziness grab hold of him. A small, but noticeable pain throbbed in his hand and up his arm. He shook the dizzy spell away and rubbed his hand, urging away the soreness. Muar cast him a sideways glance, concerned at his sudden movements. Link assured her he was fine, and she thought maybe the alcohol was getting to him again.

She disregarded it, knowing he could take care of himself. They reached the opening of the tent and she pushed aside the fabric to let Link and herself pass through. The area was dimly lit with a couple candles, and the floor was carpeted with a burgundy rug. A desk, bed and chair decorated the inside of the tent, along with scattered medicine books. A small, elderly lady, Clara, sat upon a stool in front of the bed. She turned to greet the two, standing up from her seat to fill Muar in on his condition.

Link idly listened in on their conversation, but found himself in much more pain than he had been outside the tent: waves of pain swelled from his hand, making the pain climb up through his arm. He had trouble breathing evenly, but he maintained his composure, not wanting to worry the two women. He just stood, gripping at his hand.

Then, curiosity encouraged him to look over at the bed. His eyes were met with the sleeping face of a Gerudo man, roughly the same age as him. Both of his arms were laid straight beside him out of the covers, and his facial features seemed to be rid of any kind of pain. Link ignored the bizarre pain in his hand and arm, and followed his instincts to the man's bedside. He towered over the sleeping form, staring intently at the man's lineaments.

There was something about the red of his hair, the lines of his face, and the way his lips were pressed that reminded Link of his past. He stood there, digging in his memories as he continued to search the Gerudo man's features for any clues. Link knew it was only normal for a new Gerudo male to be born into the tribe, for the only male, Ganondorf, had died seven years ago. The only memory he could relate this man to was the thought of the King of Evil, but he knew it was biased to connect the two.

Link frowned, twisting at his hand when he felt the throbbing increase. He looked down at his hand to examine it, only to gasp when he saw his triforce mark glowing brightly. His eyes focused on a light looming past his own hand once he finished inspecting it. The hero's eyes widened considerably at what he saw: the Gerudo man's right hand bore the mark of a glowing triforce.

Link reached out to touch it, oblivious to Muar calling for him. His fingertips met the man's triforce mark, and suddenly, a powerful shock was sent through him upon contact. Link shouted loudly in pain as he felt his previous pain intensify by a thousand, a violent sting surging up his arm, down his back, and upwards to the back of his head. His vision blurred and he felt himself fall to the ground, gripping his triforce-bearing hand to his chest. He blinked as hard as he could, willing away the blackness overpowering his sight. Before he fell into unconsciousness, he saw the Gerudo man's eyes open to reveal a startling colour of dark amber. The man turned his head to face Link, his face showing utmost panic-stricken bewilderment, as if he had just stirred from a realistic nightmare. Muar's figure covered Link's view of the man. She knelt beside Link, shaking him, a frightened frenzy plastered over her features.

Link's last conscious moments were spent in revelation. The moment their eyes locked, Link was certain the Gerudo man was in fact Ganondorf, the King of Thieves.


End file.
